Unique Experiences You Can't Have at Home
Location-based entertainment (LBE) is revolutionizing how people engage with VR technology. While the number of home VR headsets globally remains relatively low, more individuals are experiencing VR as it becomes mainstream. With VR allowing users to build and explore anything, anywhere, the question arises: why leave home?To thrive, Family Entertainment Centres (FECs) and LBEs must offer compelling reasons for people to visit. At Frontgrid, which combines motion-based engineering and immersive content, we see growing demand for VR experiences that are unique, social, and memorable.
Read more on utilising VR to connect users with real-world places using VR.
Give People A Reason To Interact
The biggest draw for leaving home is social interaction. Playing games at home, even multiplayer, often feels isolating. Location Based Entertainment venues excel by providing opportunities for competitive socializing—a growing trend.
For VR experiences, this means delivering multiplayer options where people can connect and compete. Whether it’s small group competitions similar to bowling or broader e-sports leagues, building community and incentivizing repeat play is key.
Content Relevant Experiences For LBEs
Location Based Flying In-game photo of Location Based Entertainment attraction, ‘Fly Niagara Falls‘
Venues need to offer experiences that have not been done to death. Shooting zombies for the sake of it may have had its heyday.
Considering what content is most relevant and poignant to your LBE venue, its audience and where it is located opens up more exciting and profitable possibilities. Frontgrid recently had the privilege of working with Rainbow Air Helicopter Tours, installing a world-first immersive VR attraction which sees users soar over the world spectacle, Niagara Falls… in VR! Utilising location-based flying (A term coined by Frontgrid!) to provide a truly unique experience.
VR truly holds the scope to enable individuals to explore and learn about places differently.
There is also the potential to bring cultural experiences to LBEs, such as art exhibitions or museum archives. Or maybe the chain of Location Based Entertainment venues wants to create its own story and narrative to be known by.
Creating custom-made-content, relevant to your venue and audience creates a further draw to the attraction and raises the perceived value of the experience – and therefore the potential ticket price chargeable.
If you’re looking to install a similar, location-based attraction at your venue, get in touch!
Appeal To All The Senses
Whilst the mind is a funny thing and VR can trick it into thinking it is anywhere. The body still has something to say about it. Another point of differentiation that LBEs can still own over experiences at home, is to offer multi-sensory experiences.
Combining VR with physical elements such as movement, provided by motion-based engineering, can make the experience feel more real. There is still mileage in the “wobbly chair” VR arcade game; however venues need to keep an eye on more sophisticated self-steer and interactive technology as well as engineering platforms which offer a more sensitive simulation of the various forms of exploration, from driving to flight.
There is also the potential to layer on further sensory add-ons, such as blowing air – which emphasises movement.
Enhance The Customer Journey
Whether offering small-scale VR attractions or large-scale Family Entertainment Centre installations, every detail of the customer journey matters. From pre-experience engagement to post-experience actions, creating a seamless and engaging journey
Don’t hide your VR experience in a corner—make it the centerpiece. Use creative theming, design, and storytelling to amplify its impact. Consider all aspects! WHat will individuals receive before their experience, what’s happening around your installation and what is it exactly that you want your customer to do next?
Direct Links To Brand Experience and Retail
When judging the ROI of your VR installation, there is the revenue collected from the paying to play the game of course. But you also need to consider what footfall it draws and what incremental revenue it drives, not just from the experience itself, but from food and beverage and other activities around it.
LBE is becoming increasingly important as a tool to pull footfall back to bricks and mortar retail outlets, offering people experiences that they can’t have at home. There proves to be a whole wealth of opportunity for the first mover advantage within the retail brand space by adopting the above as part of an overarching omni-channel marketing of brands and products.
The main benefit of a VR entertainment experience within this space is capturing someone’s attention. You now have the chance to create deep, meaningful connections with your brand, optimising your positioning strategy. And as you are already speaking to them in a digital space, send them on to the next step towards purchase
or behaviour change! Collect consumer data such as email addresses, encouraging engagement along various marketing channels. Incorporate direct links to e-commerce and therefore the bottom-line… sales!
To view the full, official article by RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL, click here.